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Artist Stories

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Life Is Beautiful

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born on 24 November 1864 in Albi, France. He wanted to be a doctor or a surgeon but due to illness became a painter.

Petra Dragasevic 24 November 2025

Post-Impressionism

Meet Jane Avril—The Great Muse of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Jane Avril was a dancer and star of the Moulin Rouge in the 1890s. Her legend is alive until this day—her semi-fictionalized character was...

Zuzanna Stańska 24 November 2025

Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Henry VIII of England, ca. 1537, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain.  History

Royal Portraits: The Art of Image

Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” For monarchs...

Abreeza Thomas 24 November 2025

European Art

Viennese Actionism: Between the Bestial and the Sublime

Naked bodies, violence, and destructive art. The term Viennese Actionism refers to a radical and explicit form of performance art that developed in...

Caroline Galambosova 24 November 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights remains a mystery to this day. The most respected experts in late-Gothic iconography...

Marta Loza 23 November 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806) was the most prolific French painter of the 18th century. He created over 550 paintings embodying the spirit of...

James W Singer 23 November 2025

European Art

René Magritte’s Art Deco Sheet Music Covers

You probably associate Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte with weird, surreal pieces, like his famous Treachery of Images. He also liked...

Zuzanna Stańska 21 November 2025

René and Georgette Magritte. Photograph. Love Story

René and Georgette Magritte: A Love Story

You’ve heard of René Magritte—the Surrealist icon behind the famous pipe and bowler hat. But who was the muse who inspired much of his oeuvre?...

Natalia Iacobelli 21 November 2025

René Magritte, Ceci n'est pas une pipe, 1929. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Painting

René Magritte in 10 Paintings

René Magritte (1898–1965) stood at the heart of Surrealism, yet his art leaned toward a more figurative vision. He transformed ordinary objects...

Errika Gerakiti 21 November 2025

Painting

New York in 10 Unexpected Paintings

One of the most recognizable works of art about New York City is a song. When the opening vamp begins to play (especially if it’s Frank...

Sam Malone 20 November 2025

Cecilia Beaux, Twilight Confidences, 1888. Women Artists

Cecilia Beaux in 10 Paintings

American painter Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942) cannot be neatly pigeonholed into any artistic category. Rather, she sits at a curious intersection...

Natalia Iacobelli 20 November 2025

Erotica

Celebrating the Male Body in Renaissance Florence

The adoration of the male body was an inspiration for many artists and there is no medium better suited to presenting the full beauty and complexity...

Joanna Kaszubowska 19 November 2025